For the purposes of funding, ICADV considers a domestic violence program an agency that:

Is a legally incorporated not for profit organization whose principal mission is to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Services consist of one or more of the following: information, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, referral, counseling, advocacy, or emotional support.

Has a record of providing effective, victim-centered services for the past two years. Victim-centered services are those that promote empowerment and self-determination of victims and which hold abusers accountable for their behavior.

Provides services that are free, nondiscriminatory and confidential;

Provides all staff and volunteers with 40 hours of domestic violence training. Staff trained after July 1, 2004, must be trained by a site approved by the Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professionals;

Provides 24 hour telephone accessibility by personnel without requiring the victim to make a second phone call or wait for a return phone call;

Provides access to safe housing, including access to trained staff and services to effectively meet the needs of victims;

Has demonstrated ability to utilize an intake assessment to determine eligible clients and uses appropriate service plans for eligible clients;

Promotes coordinated public and private efforts within the local community to aid crime victims;

Has credibility within their service community regarding provision of services to domestic violence victims.

If you are interested in receiving funding opportunity announcements from ICADV, please read the sample certification forms that your agency must fulfill before they would be considered eligible. If you feel that your agency meets these requirements, please contact ICADV and request to be put on the Request for Proposal mailing list.